CABANATUAN City – Justin Quiban strengthened his hold on the ICTSI Lakewood Championship, turning the P3 million event into a potential personal showcase with an eagle-aided 68 as he extended his lead to five strokes over Ryan Monsalve midway through here on Wednesday, March 25.

Though he cooled off from his blistering, record-setting 62 on Tuesday, Quiban’s steady 33-35 round under another scorching day proved more than enough to widen the gap between him and the rest of the elite field.

Monsalve, however, mounted a strong charge in one of the later groups, carding a 67 he also highlighted by an eagle to climb to solo second. Still, Quiban’s 36-hole aggregate of 14-under 130 gave him firm control, with Monsalve trailing at 135.

Korean Taewon Ha also impressed with a 67 to move into third at 136.

“I felt I hit the driver just as well. If anything, I just wasn’t holing as many putts as I did yesterday. But I was hitting my lines – it’s just how it goes sometimes,” said Quiban.

“I’m focused on what I need to do. The plan is to stay in the present and stay locked in, and I think I’ve been doing a pretty good job of that,” he added.

Despite trailing by five, Monsalve remains optimistic about his chances of a breakthrough.

“I hit my drives better yesterday (Tuesday), but I was able to manage my misses today (Wednesday),” said Monsalve, whose round featured just two bogeys after a first round that included two bogeys and a double bogey.

“I also finished stronger today, and everything else was pretty similar. I’ve been putting well and hope to continue that for the last two rounds,” he added.

“The gameplan is to take advantage of opportunities on the long holes, try to be aggressive with the tee shot to have a shorter club for those holes. It makes the green bigger for me, especially with how firm the greens are,” said Monsalve, highlighting his monster drive on No. 8 that set up another eagle. From 155 yards, he hit a 9-iron second shot to about 35 feet and drained the putt.

Rupert Zaragosa surged into contention with a 66 after a 71, climbing to solo fourth at 137. Lloyd Go and Keanu Jahns also made their moves with identical 68s to share fifth.

Rico Depilo fired a 67, while Jeffren Lumbo shot a 70 as they joined erstwhile runner-up Miki Ryoma at seventh with 139. Ryoma stumbled with a 73 after an opening 66.

Defending champion Sean Ramos, meanwhile, faltered after a first-round 68, limping home with a 72 despite a birdie on No. 8 to salvage his round. He dropped to a tie for 10th at 140 alongside Dino Villanueva, Fidel Concepcion and Russell Bautista.

Villanueva highlighted his round with four straight birdies to open his backside en route to a 67. Bautista eagled No. 8 but offset it with four bogeys for a 72, while Concepcion rallied late with three birdies in his last six holes for a 69.

A total of 43 players advanced to the final two rounds of this kickoff leg of the Philippine Golf Tour season, with Gerald Rosales (72), Paul Echavez (73), Mars Pucay (74), Tae Won Kim (75) and Brycen Ko (79) posting identical 148s to make the cut.

Quiban’s round, however, was far from flawless. Starting at the back nine, he birdied No. 10 but stumbled with a double bogey on the par-3 11th. He quickly recovered with birdies on Nos. 13 and 14, then strung together steady pars before birdying the par-5 fourth for the second straight day.

He regained momentum with a birdie on the par-3 sixth, bounced back from a missed up-and-down on the seventh, and capped his round in style – eagling the par-5 eighth after a superb drive and a precise second shot from 160 yards to within four feet.

“The good performances come when you keep doing the same things right. The key is consistency over all four days,” said Quiban.

“There’s always pressure, but it’s a good thing. I like putting myself in this position – it’s how you learn. I’m just trying to handle it better each time,” he added.

Despite his commanding lead, Quiban remains wary of the challenge ahead. Monsalve’s late surge and Ha’s steady climb present new threats, while Zaragosa, Go, and Jahns remain within striking distance, ready to capitalize on any opening as the tournament heads into its final stretch.